Samuel



VS. c. nAvlDsoN.

FLARE LIGHT SHELL. APPLICATION FILED JuNEY27. 1917.

Patented June 10, 1919.

ffl

SAMUEL CLELAND DAVIDSON, or nfsLFAsT, IRELANDs FLARELIGHT sHELL'.,

specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jim@ 410, 1919 Application med June 27, 1917. serial No. 177,205..

f To all 'whom t may concern."

' Be it known that I, SAMUEL CLELAND Y DAVIDSON, a subject of the King of Great J1-ov.

Hare-light shells for brilliantly lighting Britain and Ireland, and resident of Belfast, Ireland, merchant, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to Flare-Light Shells, of which the following is a specification. Y v

This invention relates tothe construction and adaptation of what may be defined as up at night, for say a minute or more, a

considerablearea Yaround where the shell lands on the ground, at the end of its flight.

The present invention consists in a modied construction of the explosive shell described andshown in my pending specifica- -tio1rof Letters Patent Serial No. 126,434

i filed Oct. 16, 1916, (hereinafter referred to "as my previous specification). t ,A In my said previous speciiicatlon, the eX- `plosive shell therein described is fitted with a time fuse projecting throughl a fuse plug,

vwhich is firmly attached to the base of the shell, and forms a constituent part thereof,

"but which is detachably connected to the cartridge case containing the powder for `propellingthe shell fromsthe weapon which is therein referred to as the gun or pistol.

rearl with the explosion chamber'in the n cartridge case that thel explosion therein of theprlopell'ant charge ignites it, and subsequently the -other'end of the fuseignites-the bursting charge withinthe shell.

" In the present` invention, my hereinafter i describedimprovements pertain to the con- .,structive detailsof the body of the shell.

which is loaded -with a compound of magvllesiurrn'or other suitable'i'lare-light powder @hereinafter called flare powder) and to 1cartridge 'case for the shell, 'and method \of the attachment of the fuse plug tothe base 'of the shell, also to the ignition of the flare powder bythe fuse, andthe wad for closing thel top end of the shell, but the`propellant firing its. contained charge, and the ignition of the' time fuse leading therefrom, by means :fofthe explosion" of thev propellant charge,

remain practically as described in my said previous specificatlon. f l

v'lheobjectof my present improvements 1s 'toxprovide a flareelight shell, which can be effectively 'ignited at its top end by means of a time fuse, and which can be thrown at night to the end of its'eight without burstit lands on the ground.

face-of the `flare powder. -'l `hetir`ne fuse itself s o communicates at its ing forth into as triunfa flare-iight man the termination of the period for which the time fuse is adjusted, and at or near to where ,According to this irvention, and instead of using'as described in my previous specificatlon, an iron shell body'with a bursting and' firmly mount the base end of yition a metal (preferably iron or steel) 'fusefplug,

. charge of powder rigidly inclosed therein,

which is ldetachably connected to the metal cartridge case containing the propellant charge, said fuse plug havinga time fuse ycontained-within a fuse tube which projects `through it to the top end ofbthe flare powder charge, and in order to enhance the ignitin'g flame of the fuse a small space is-left between its end and that of the fuse tube into which a priming of slow burning powder (such as mealed powder) is inserted, and held therein. with a small wad of flannel or other suitable material, so that on the fuse igniting this priming it gives olf a rich flame which insures a full ignition of. the top sur- *The ignition, however, of flarepowder by meansof 'a time `fuse, when said powder is within "acompletely inclosed 'chamber to which there is practically no access of atmospheric air, is diiiicult and unreliable, as

it is not a self-oxidizing powder, and requires atmospheric aid for its combustion,

suiiicient body of air close to wherelthe time over thewliole surface of thecharge, 'and at the same time develop enough pressure from the resulting gaseous products of comconsequently in order to effect its ignition t within thel shell it is necessary to provide a bustion'to eject the wad closing the end of' the shell, and therebyv give free 'access of the atmosphere to the whole end surface of 'the flare powder charge within the'body of the shell.

To accomplish this vmethod of igniting vflare powder while'itiscompletely inclosed inside the' shell, and by means of ati'me fuse, I provide the necessary supply of'air :within the top end of the shellgand in front of where the'time fuseemits itsire, by the employment of a' wad which constitutes `a tight fitting closure of the top end of the shell (herelnafter referred' to as the air inclosing wad) and between which and the surface of theare vpowder charge there is a distance piece, preferablyannular (hereinafter called the annulet) whereby a SufB-- 4cient amount vof air space is provided to enable the flare powder to properly ignite,

rand develop suiiicient pressureV of gaseous on the surfaceof. the flare powder charge4 to retain it in position, and prevent any loose particles of its top layer being shaken up into the air space between the air inclos' ing wad and said retaining disk when the shell is in transport, or being handled.

When charging the shell, the flare powder is packed firmly around the fuse tube from-the base of the shell up to lthe level of the firing end of the fuse tube, so that when the priming of slow burning powder in top end of the fuse tube ignites, the flash passes through afnd spreads over the retaining disk, developing a back pressure in the air space whereby the flash is driven down again through the retaining disk into and ignites the. whole surface of the Hare powder, and simultaneously e]ects the air incl'osing wad from the top end of the casing, giving free laccess of the atmosphere over the whole surfaceof the flare powder, which thereafter continues to burn with its full brilliancy of combustion until the whole charge is consumed, which, according to the quantity and depth of the chargercontained inY the' shell, will be for one or more minutes as may be provided for when the shell is being loaded.

A further part of -my invention is to. so

ldevise the construction of the shell as a whole that when discharged at ajsuitable angle of elevation, it Willalways `at the termination of its flight land on the ground upon its base end, so that its top end, from which the flare bursts forth, should be pointing approximately upward, because if it were to soland that its top end got buried in the ground, no atmospheric air could then reach the` flare powder which,not being self-oX i- -'dizing, cannot burn .without atmospheric 1 aid, and even iii-already burning before it reaches'the ground, its further-combustion ,would at once cease..

Accordin ly to insure hatthejzshell will land on its ase end, wit its top end `more or less, ointing upward,the shell is so 'cons structe vas a wholethat relatively toits 'length its center of gravity is so much farther from the Itop than from the base end, that although said top end is of course leading when the'. shell 4leaves f the propelling further alternative type of the4 air inclo'sin'g weapon, it soon turns endfor end and comes i 130 down at the termination-'of its flighty the base end leading, and lands thereon.

Inso locating this 4center of gravity, the l shell body, which is of very light construcvtion, (usually of cardboard or' cartridge paper) and preferably of parallel diameter from end to end, is mounted upon a metal 4fuse plug of suliicient .weight t0 render they length from the base end toI said center of gravity ,so Inuclr less than that from the top end, that the resistance due to air friction on the top end is relatively so much greater than on the shorter length at the fuse plug end, that (like the ell'ect of feathers on an arrow) rthe top end quickly becomes, 4and thereafter steadily remains, the trailing o r tail end of the shell, with the, heavier fuse plug end leading, so that the shell consequently lands upon the ground on ,its base end, and (provided the whole shell does notl get completely buried, .as may happen 1in very soft ground) its liare when ignited willv continue to burnwith. full brilliancy until the whole charge of theilare powder isv eX- hausted. v

The type of weapon which 1 preferably use for proj ectingthe herein described shell is that shown and described in my- British patent specication No. 13511 of 1915, andin a pending application for U. S. A. patent iled J une 26, 1917, Serial' No. 177,013, be cause with this weapon, wheniring at' a' constant angle of elevation, different ranges can be obtained withv fairly close accuracy,l

while still using a constant charge of proforms of breech-loading smooth bore weap ons, provided thebarrel is of suitable len th and bore, and that the detachable cartridge case is retained in, and after firing can be 'ejectcdvfrom thevbreech i y Reference to the accompanying drawings' will more fully explain the nature of-niy invention, and how 1t 1s carried into effect.

Figure- 1 is longitudinal section of the flare light shell showing the propellant cai'- tridge ycase with fuse plug attached thereto,

upper end of the flare light. shell, showin analternative type of the air inclosing wa at the -top end ofthe shell. y

Figj is a part longitudinal vsection offthe upper end of the flare-light shell,showinga wad atthe-top end of the, shell. l

. pellant, but it can also be fired from other and the hereinbefore described air inclosing ,air wa'd at top end of the shell. The lower Y y lug into the flare powder,

ot thefuse tube by a' Fig. 4 is apart longitudinal section of the upper end of the Hare-light shell, showing a modification of the air inclosing wad, wherein the annulet is formed as a part of the wad 5 itself. j l

The letters indicating the various component parts are the same in each figure, and

are as follows A a is the cardboard or cartridge paper body of the flare-light shell (hereinafter called casing) which is of such diameter as to constitute a free sliding lit within the barrel of the propelling weapon, and which is firmly attached by a tight sliding fit on to the receed part of the fuse plug b. The extreme v end of the base of the body a abuts against a collar-like flan e b on the fuse plug b, the diameter of which is a sliding fit to the bore of the propelling weapon, and prevents the cardboard casing from being blown olf the fuse plug b the explosion of the propellant charge. The fuse plug b is formed with an annular flange b2 extending toward the cartridge case c, fitting outend of the fuse tube toward the cartridgeV case being expanded or otherwise-secured so as to make -a flash=tight/joint with the fuse plu ZL//Th'e/ firing end of the fuse tube-dans shown in sectlon to indicate the position of the priming of slow burning powder on end of fuse, and the retain- 1ng wad d4, on top of the priming, e is the flare powder which is tightly packed inside the body a and around the fuse tube d', and up to the top end of the fuse tube at about the level of the retainin wad (Z4. The retaining disk f is place over the surface of the flare powder charge to prevent any loose particles therefrom being dis laced into the air space betw'een it and t eair inclosing wad in top end of casing. g is the air inclosing wad which is preferably'made with a convex central projection on its interior, and an inverse cup-like concavity on its exterior surface with a rim liange g on its outward and upward continuation. 7L is annulet distance piece between the air inclosing wad g and the retaining disk This air inclosing wad is inserted as a' tight tting closure of the extreme terminal end of the casing.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the lexact dimensions or configuration hereinbefore described and 1illustrated in the accompanyin drawings, which are to be considered as inl icative only of the gen- |66' eral operative and constructive principle on side of and forming a close detachable joint which my invention can be applied in a practical form, and having now described the nature of my invention and how same is to be carried into effect, what-I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In flare-light projectiles a casing adapted to hold flare-light powder, a fuse plug attached to the base of vthe casing, a fuse tube disposed in a hole in the fuse plug and extending some way into the casing, a fuse in said fuse tube adapted to be ignited at its lower end by the explosion of the propellant charge, and, to contain at its upper end a priming of slow burning powder for ignitin the charge of Hare powder, a retain- 8c ing dis of foraminous material, or paper over the surface of the are powder, between which disk and an air inclosing wad in the top end of the casing, an air space is provided for the supply ofair to assist the ini-l as tial ignition of the top surface of the flare powder charge.

2. A flare-light projectile, as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the marginal edge of the inner face of the air inclosing 90 wad, when pushed into the open top end of the casing, has between it and the rim of the retaining disk an annular or other suitable form of distance piece, whereby said retaining disk is held firmlydown upon the vflare powder at or near to the inner circumference of the casing, and a definite area of air space thus provided between the surface of the flare powder and the inner face of the air inclosing wad.

3. A Hare-light projectile comprising a casing, afcharge of flare-light powder therein, and a fuse for lighting the top of such powder, having its center of gravity in relation to the length of the rojectile substantially nearer the base or se plug end than the top end, whereby it tends to reverse its position `during flight and to fall with its base on the ground, sov that it may stand upright while burning.

4. A flare-light projectile comprising -a projectile casing, a charge of Hare-light powder therein, a base fuse plug, a time fuse leading upward therefrom and adapted to ignite the top portion of the flare powder, il l5 and a closure at the top end of the casing removed from the charge of flare powder to form an air chamber inclosing -a supply of 'air to assist the initial combustion of the Hare powder.

`5. A projectile according to claim 4,l having between the fuse and top closure aharge of -powderto burn within the airchamber to ignite the top of the llare powder.

6. A projectile according to claim 4, hav- 12m ing its top closure inclosing only a portion of the air required forthe combustion of the flare powder, andl adapted to be blown oli" as such combustion proceeds.

7. A projectile according to claim 4, havuw I ing on top of the charge of flare powder a retaining disk, and an annular distance piece introduced between such disk and the top closure to form the air chamber.'

8. A projectile according to claim 7 with the annular distance piece separated from the side walls of the projectile casing. 

